1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a thermoelectric material, a thermoelectric device using the thermoelectric material, and a method of manufacturing thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
The thermoelectric effect is a reversible and direct method of converting energy between heat and electricity. The thermoelectric effect is a phenomenon that occurs due to the movement of charge carriers, specifically electrons and holes.
The Seebeck effect is the conversion of a temperature difference directly into electricity, and can be used for power generation using an electromotive force generated from a temperature difference between ends of a thermoelectric material. The Peltier effect is a phenomenon wherein when a current flows in a circuit, heat is generated in an upper junction and heat is absorbed in a lower junction. The Peltier effect can be used for cooling using the temperature difference formed between ends of the thermoelectric material when electrical current is applied. Also, the Seebeck effect and the Peltier effect are thermodynamically reversible. Thus the Seebeck effect and the Peltier effect are different from Joule heating in that Joule heating is not thermodynamically reversible.
Thermoelectric materials have been used to actively cool electronic devices, such as semiconductor equipment, in which the heat generation problem is not easily solved. Also, demand for improved temperature control, which can be provided using thermoelectric materials, has increased in fields that prefer precise temperature control, such as DNA analysis. Precise temperature control is difficult with compression-type cooling. Thermoelectric cooling provides many additional benefits. Thermoelectric cooling is eco-friendly, has no vibration, has low noise, and does not use a refrigerant gas that causes environmental pollution. Thus an improved thermoelectric material having increased cooling efficiency would be desirable for various cooling applications, such as commercial cooling, home refrigeration, and air conditioning. Also, if the thermoelectric material is disposed on a device that generates heat, such as an engine of an automobile or in an industrial plant, electricity may be generated using a temperature difference between ends of the thermoelectric material.
Thus there remains a need for an improved thermoelectric material.